Zach Parise
| birth_place = Minneapolis, Minnesota | draft = 17th overall | draft_year = 2003 | draft_team = New Jersey Devils | career_start = 2005 }} Zach Parise (born Zachary Justin Parise on July 28, 1984) is an American professional ice hockey left winger of French-Canadian origin and alternate captain for the Minnesota Wild in the National Hockey League (NHL). He has also played for the New Jersey Devils, where he served as team captain. Zach's father, J.P. Parise was a professional ice hockey player who played for Team Canada at the 1972 Summit Series, and his brother Jordan Parise is a professional hockey goaltender. Zach played midget AAA hockey for Shattuck-St. Mary's in Faribault, Minnesota, before spending two seasons at the University of North Dakota, where he was twice nominated for the Hobey Baker Award which is given to the top college ice hockey player in America. He was drafted by the Devils 17th overall in the 2003 NHL Entry Draft and turned pro after his sophomore season, spending one year playing for the Albany River Rats of the American Hockey League (AHL). Zach joined the Devils for the 2005–06 season. His best NHL season was in 2008–09 when he was the league's third leading goal scorer (45) behind Jeff Carter with 46 and league leader Alexander Ovechkin with 56, while ranking fifth among all NHL players in points with 94. Internationally, Zach has represented the United States at several different events. He helped the Americans win a gold medal at the 2004 World Junior Championships, where he was named the tournament's Most Valuable Player and Best Forward and earned a spot on the Tournament All-Star Team. Zach was an alternate captain for the American team at the 2010 Winter Olympics and scored the tying goal late in the gold medal game against Canada to send it to overtime. Zach and his teammates won a silver medal. After the tournament, he was named to the Tournament All-Star Team. Playing Career Amateur Hockey Career Zach played midget AAA hockey for four seasons for the Shattuck-St. Mary's Sabres in Faribault, Minnesota where his father J.P. worked in the hockey program. During his final two years (2000–01 and 2001–02) at Shattuck-St.Mary's, he scored 146 goals and 194 assists in 125 games. While playing for the Sabres, Zach twice participated in the Mac's AAA Hockey Tournament held in Calgary, Alberta. In 2000 and 2001, he was named the tournament Most Valuable Player (MVP) as well as being named to the tournament All-Star Team. He was the top scorer at the 2001 tournament. After his senior year at Shattuck-St. Mary's, Zach was named the school's Best All-Around Athlete. He played NCAA hockey for the University of North Dakota (UND) starting with the 2002–03 season. In his first game with UND, Zach scored three goals, becoming only the second freshman to record a hat trick since 1988. During his freshman season at UND, he led the NCAA in rookie scoring (26 goals and 35 assists), and finished 8th in the national scoring race. Zach captured a number of awards during the season, including being named the Western Collegiate Hockey Association (WCHA) Rookie of the Week 4 times and WCHA Offensive Player of the Week once. After the season, he was named a finalist for the Hobey Baker Award, he was the only freshman nominated that year, and the first UND freshman nominee ever. Zach was named UND's Male Rookie Athlete of the Year after the 2002–03 season. In addition to these honors, he was named to the WCHA All-Rookie Team and the All-WCHA Third Team. Zach was also named the recipient of the Jeff Anderson Hockey Scholarship, given to the MVP as voted by his teammates. After his freshman season, Zach was eligible for the 2003 NHL Entry Draft. Heading into the draft, he was ranked as the 9th best North American skater by the NHL Central Scouting Bureau. Heading into the draft, teams had concerns about Zach's size, but they were impressed by his skill and work ethic. At the draft, the New Jersey Devils traded to obtain the 17th overall pick from the Edmonton Oilers and used it to select Parise. Zach returned to UND for his sophomore season after being drafted. Along with teammates Brandon Bochenski, Matt Smaby and Drew Stafford, he helped The University of North Dakota to the MacNaughton Cup as the WCHA Regular Season Champions. Parise was named a First Team All-American after the season. He was named as one of the 10 nominees for the Hobey Baker Award, and was one of three finalists, losing out to eventual winner Junior Lessard. Zach was also named to the All-WCHA Academic Team, and the WCHA All-Tournament Team. After his sophomore season, Zach was named as the winner of the Cliff (Fido) Purpur Award, awarded by the coaching staff to the player who exemplifies "the characteristics of Purpur, a former UND coach, of hard work, determination and being a creator of excitement on the ice." NHL Career After his sophomore season at UND, Zach chose to forego his final two years of NCAA eligibility to sign a professional contract with the Devils. On March 29, 2004, he signed an entry-level contract with the Devils. Due to the 2004-05 NHL lockout, Zach spent his first professional season in the American Hockey League with the Albany River Rats. In his first professional season, he scored 18 goals and added 40 assists. He was chosen to play in the 2004–05 AHL All-Star Game Zach made his debut in the NHL at the start of the 2005–06 season. In his rookie year, he played in all but one game, totaling 14 goals and 18 assists for 32 points. Zach became just the 12th player for the Devils to score a goal in his first NHL game. Zach scored his first career playoff goal against the New York Rangers in game three of the Eastern Conference Quarterfinals. To open the following season, he set a franchise record for scoring the quickest season-opening goal, 26 seconds into the first game. For the season, he nearly doubled his scoring output of the previous season, totaling 62 points. Zach was chosen to play in the NHL YoungStars Game during the All-Star weekend, where he scored two goals and four assists and was named the game's MVP. Heading into the 2007–08 season, Zach and the Devils agreed to terms on a new, 4-year contract on August 1, 2007. He led the Devils in scoring during the 2007–08 season with 65 points. On November 30, 2007, in a game against the Montreal Canadiens, Zach got his first NHL natural hat trick. On October 3, 2009, Zach was named an alternate captain for the Devils. He had a breakout season during his 4th year in the NHL which saw the Devils increase their scoring output by nearly half a goal per game, breaking away from the team's image as a mostly defensive team. While playing in all 82 games, Zach scored 45 goals and added 49 assists for 94 points. He finished 5th overall in league scoring, and was 3rd in goal scoring, behind only Alexander Ovechkin and Jeff Carter. During the season, he was selected to represent the Eastern Conference at the 2009 NHL All-Star Game. After the season, Zach was chosen as one of three nominees for the Lady Byng Memorial Trophy. He was also chosen to the NHL's Second All-Star Team and named the Devils' team MVP. During the 2009–10 season, Zach played in 81 games for the Devils, finishing with 38 goals and 44 assists. He struggled at times, going 12 games without scoring at one point before recording two goals against the Atlanta Thrashers on December 28, 2009. During the playoffs, Zach and the Devils were eliminated in the Eastern Conference Quarter-Finals by the Philadelphia Flyers in five games. He scored one goal and added three assists in the five playoff games. At the end of the season, Zach was selected as the Devils team MVP for the second year in a row. In November of the 2010–11 NHL season, Zach tore the meniscus in his right knee, underwent surgery and was deemed to be likely out for the remainder of the season. On March 2, 2011, he was cleared to start skating and returned to play on April 2, 2011 (which was the same night the Devils were mathematically eliminated from playoff contention). On July 29, 2011, Parise signed a 1-year contract worth $6 million with the Devils. On October 5, 2011, the Devils named Zach captain, becoming the second captain in Devils history (the other being Scott Stevens) to lead them to the Stanley Cup Finals. The Devils lost in 6 games at the hands of the Los Angeles Kings. On July 4, 2012, after becoming an unrestricted free agent, Zach signed a 13-year contract worth US$98 million with the Minnesota Wild. The move represented a homecoming for him who grew up in the Twin Cities and whose father J.P. Parise once captained the Minnesota North Stars. Zach joined fellow free-agent signee Ryan Suter in signing with the Wild; Suter signed on terms identical to Parise's deal. He will wear number 11 with the Wild, the same number that his father wore with the North Stars. Both Zach and Suter were named alternate captains for the Wild on July 10th. Zach scored 18 goals along with 20 assists during the lockout shortened 2012-13 NHL season as the Wild qualified for the 2013 Stanley Cup Playoffs as the 8th seed in the Western Conference, losing to the eventual Stanley Cup champion Chicago Blackhawks in five games in the opening round. He scored one goal during the series. Career Statistics International Statistics Awards & Achievements Amateur Hockey Awards *Mac's AAA Midget Hockey Tournament MVP (2000 & 2001) *Mac's AAA Midget Hockey Tournament All-Star Team (2000 & 2001) *Shattuck-St. Mary's Best All-Around Athlete (2002) *University of North Dakota Male Rookie Athlete of the Year (2003) *Jeff Anderson Hockey Scholarship (2003) *WCHA All Rookie Team (2003) *All-WCHA Third Team (2003) *All-America First Team (2004) *All-WCHA Academic Team (2004) *WCHA All-Tournament Team (2004) *Cliff (Fido) Purpur Award (2004) NHL Awards *NHL Second All-Star Team (2009) *New Jersey Devils MVP (2009 & 2010) International Awards *World Junior Best Forward (2004) *World Junior Tournament All-Star (2004) *World Championships Player of the Game (2008 vs. Germany) *World Championships Top Three Player (2008) *Olympics Tournament All-Star Selection (2010) International Play }} Even though Zach's father J. P. played internationally for Canada during his hockey career, Zach and his brother Jordan are American citizens. Zach's international career started at the Under-18 level, where he played for the United States during the 2002 IIHF World U18 Championships. He finished the tournament 14th overall in scoring with 7 goals and 3 assists in 8 games and the United States won the gold medal. Zach represented the United States at the Under-20 level, playing at the 2003 World Junior Championships. Team USA finished in fourth place and he scored 4 goals and added 4 assists to finish 8th in tournament scoring. The following year at the 2004 World Junior Championships, Zach led the Americans to their first ever gold medal at the tournament. He scored 5 goals and added 6 assists and was awarded the Tournament MVP, Best Forward and was named to the Tournament All-Star Team. In 2005 and 2007, Zach played for the United States at the World Hockey Championships although he did not suit up for the full slate of games in either event. In 2008, he served as an alternate captain for the American team at the World Championships. Zach was named Team USA's Player of the Game against Germany during this tournament and he was also selected as one of the team's Top Three Players at the end of the tournament by the coaching staff. On January 1, 2010, Zach was named to the 2010 Men's Olympic Hockey Team and was later named as one of the team's alternate captains. He scored both of Team USA's goals in 2–0 quarterfinal win over Switzerland. In the final against Canada, Zach scored a game-tying goal with 24 seconds left in the 3rd period to send the game into overtime although he and his teammates had to settle for the silver medal after a Sidney Crosby goal during overtime. For the tournament, Zach finished third in the tournament in scoring, and he was named to the Olympic All-Star team with countrymen Ryan Miller and Brian Rafalski. Personal Life Zach resides in Orono, Minnesota with his wife and college sweetheart Alisha Woods. His parents J.P. and Donna Parise reside in Prior Lake, Minnesota. J.P. is a Franco-Ontarian from Smooth Rock Falls in Northern Ontario. Zach was born during J.P.'s tenure as an assistant coach for the Minnesota North Stars. Zach is sponsored by Easton Hockey. He gives his time to New Jersey's public library system, and serves as a Library Champion, a program which promotes the importance of reading to children. Category:1984 births Category:Minnesota Wild players Category:New Jersey Devils draft picks Category:New Jersey Devils players Category:University of North Dakota men's ice hockey players